PARTNER

OBJECT ID

ddr-njpa-1-874 (G326.006)

PARENT COLLECTION

Nippu Jiji Photograph Archive, "Gaijin" Collection

DESCRIPTION

Caption on front [translation]: "Person of the Day. Molotov. It can't be said that there isn't a little sadness at the withdrawal of Litvinov, who held the position of People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs (foreign minister) for a full nine years and pushed around Europe to an obnoxious degree. His replacement is, in marked contrast to Litvinov's unrefined nature, stylish with a broad forehead and pince-nez... Molotov currently holds the high position of Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars (the equivalent of prime minister).

He is known as 'wise Molotov' and although he has a severe stutter, he is patient and gives lengthy speeches. He has a sickly face, looks bereft of life, and always wears his pince-nez when he goes out. That he gives the appearance of a member of the urban intelligentsia may be due to his Moscow origin and graduation from a commercial school.

Molotov is still rather young, turning 49 this year. He joined the Communist party in 1906 and was one of those who sparked the revolutionary movement in St. Petersburg at the time of the 1917 revolution. Stalin's right arm, he has been important in the Soviet Union ever since, gaining the position of prime minister in 1931.

How will Molotov handle the 'negotiations for an Anglo-Soviet pact,' the legacy of his Anglophile predecessor Litvinov? He touches his balding forehead and fiddles with his glasses... it seems he's become rather busy. [Stamped] May 6, 1939."

CONTRIBUTOR

Hawai'i Times Photo Archives Foundation

PREFERRED CITATION

Courtesy of the Hawai'i Times Photo Archives Foundation

RIGHTS